Fountain pen cap



. 5, 1950 M. s. BAKER ETAL FOUNTAIN PEN CAP Filed June 18, 1948 IN VENTORS.

[Van-kn 53mm Patented Dec. 5, 1950 FOUNTAIN PEN CAP Marlin S. Baker,Janesville, and Robert W. Randolph, Milton, Wis assignors ;to- Thelarlrer Pen Company, Janesville, Wis., a corporation of WisconsinApplication June 18, 1948, Serial No. 33,806

5 Claims.

This invention relates to fountain pen closure caps and has to doparticularly with an improved closure cap of the slip-on type.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedclosure cap for a fountain pen.

Another object is to provide a closure cap for a fountain pen which maybe applied to and removed from a fountain pen without causing anincrease or decrease in the pressure of air within the cap.

Another object is to provide a fountain pen closure cap having a ventfor maintaining the pressure of the air within the cap at atmosphericpressure during insertion or removal of the pen, which vent issubstantially concealed.

A further object is to provide a fountain pen closure cap embodying animproved mode of attaching'a pocket clip thereto.

A further object is to provide a fountain pen closure cap having apocket clip attached thereto in such manner that the outer surface ofthe-cap presents .a substantially continuous and uninterrupted surface.

A still further object is to provide a closure-cap for a fountain penwhich is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, and whichthe several members forming the ca are rigidly and positively securedtogether and are not readily subject to loosening and disarrangement inuse.

Qther objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in :connection with the appended drawingswherein:

Figure -1 is a side elevational view of a closu e cap embodying theinvention shown in position on the forward end of a fountain pen,certain of the parts of the cap being broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is a view of a section taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is -a view of a section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a view of the section taken alon line,

i l of the cap of Fig.1.

For the purpose of illustrating the presentinvention, a pen or" the typehaving a thooded;f or. wardend is illustrated which pen is of the g.

eral type disclosed and claimed in UnitedStates Letters Patent to Baker,No. 2,223,541, although it will be apparent as the description hereinproceeds, the cap is adapted'for use withother typesof fountain penshaving a generally tapered writing endand ,a cap clutch ring. -In-thepen iii).

2 v l u t ate in the p ese t d awings, t e non i p i d wit a ape ed.hoool or shel Il and w th? a yl ndrica u oh rin car ed on th n netwesnthesho 1-0 a dtho b rre et l an h v n a s de wal p tion 1 9iooorolly elongated bular .o m ta erin a it er end. The ute sh ll isclosed a s ou e and y nd 1 p t on 5 .W iSZh mer nt s a lv w th t e u ulr sid wa o tion pre ents t erew th a ontinu us unbroken foxtorior su ae- Fll o ou e he is ad te t telescope over the writing end of thepenandtheinner o io is adap ed t ifi io onol y s at-ti 1y e the lo oh riH t tain th .oa po i io n th De Th an ormed from si n th n w l d matial. s o exam e. stainless st endis so d mensio ed a it io a c ndri a oen nd p rt n tha a er. su ab defo ma on t a sli htly ell tioa or ssrsection, i htly r p t e u oh rin wh n in p t n on t o-r n- D o with n hu o shel an ;i .n.r r iol. it having a generally-tubular side wallportion H open a t i n r e d and a thi kened a d portion I3 integralwith the side wall J] and; s rving to close t le t a ts 1. B1'z Jd-.EIl. inner shell 4:5 is of generally taperedforrn toward: itsouterorclosed end :andis of such length that. it terminates inwardly short oftheinner, end of the outer shell. It is provided at its open inner endwith ;a thickened wall portion 1 9 gadaptedqtol frictionaliy receive thetapered portion of the; pen o c e y o olos th writ ne nd of the:- e a szto prov des seal which prevents t v. of airintothe interior of theinner shell it when the cap 115 in position on the pen and therebyprevents evaporation of ink from :thepen. The inner shell ;I- 6 isformed of any suitable .material. but preferably one which permits theshell to :be formed by molding. For this purpose we have found syntheticplastic materials such as hard rubber, synthetic resins and other dike(materials; suitable.

The inner sheil is secured in the outer shell in such manner that it isrigidly held therein and does not become loosened or dislodged durinuse, and at thesametime the mode of securing; h s l m m er o e he is sch as not :to cause any-interruption -in the continuoussurfaoe o t sourshell membe oathis end a pocket l omom ZlfiWlliPh tii cus omary:tmprovido' on a untain Ir n c osu oar. :is emp oy as an element of themeans for attaching the inner and outer shell members. The pocket clipmember may have any suitably shaped body 2| of elongated form and isprovided with an inturned tongue or anchor portion 22 which extendsthrough a slot 23 in the outer shell l4 and a slot 24 in the thickenedend wall l8 of the inner shell l6. An anchoring element 25 extendsthrough an opening 26 in the tongue 22 and is secured in the thickenedend wall [8 to lock the tongue 22 in the inner shell I6 and thereby lockthe inner shell in the outer shell. Preferably the anchoring elementtakes the form of a screw which extends through the anchor portion andis threaded into the wall [8.

Means are provided by the present invention for venting to atmospherethe interior of the closure cap during movement of the forward end ofthe pen into and out of the cap. Thus during the movement of the end ofthe pen into the cap, air which is displaced by the pen is expelled fromthe cap and there is no compression of air within the cap, even wherethe pen is inserted rapidly into the cap. The venting means also isefiective to admit air into the cap during removal of the pen and thusprevent the establishment of a subatmospheric pressure within the cap asmight otherwise result, especially when the pen is removed rapidly fromthe cap.

' To the foregoing end, a vent passage 2! is provided between the innerand outer shells and which at one end leads to a vent opening 28 in theouter shell and at its other end communicates with the interior of theouter shell forwardly of the inner end of the inner shell I6. Thus,communication is provided between the atmosphere and the interior of theouter shell. It will be noted, however, that when the cap is in positionon the pen, the vent passage 2'! does not communicate with the spacewithin the sealed inner cap but merely with the space between the outercap and the pen; therefore, there is no passage of air into the interiorof the inner shell when the pen is fully seated in the cap andevaporation of ink is substantially prevented. On the other hand, theinterior of the inner shell is vented to atmosphere during the movementor the pen into the cap and until the pen is fully seated in the innershell. Thus, any air which may be displaced by reason of the pistonaction of the pen in the outer shell is permitted to flow out of the capand is not compressed therein. The vent passage 21 may be formed byproviding a longitudinally-extending groove in the outer surface of theinner shell, but in the present illustrative embodiment the continuousgroove is not necessary inasmuch as the outer shell is spaced from theinner shell except at the end portions of the latter. Accordingly, thepassage is provided in part by the space 3| between the shells and inpart by grooves 29 and 30 at the outer and inner end portions of theinner shell, respectively. The vent opening 28, for convenience, may beformed by a lateral enlargement of the slot 23 and in any eventpreferably is located under the clip body 2| so that it is substantiallyconcealed and does not detract from the attractive appearance of theouter shell.

' From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention providesa fountain pen closure cap which may be applied to or removed from thepen rapidly without causing any substantial change in pressure of theair within the cap. The cap is vented to atmosphere during movement ofthe pen into the cap until the pen is substantially seated and duringmovement of the pen out of the cap substantially from the beginning ofthe outward movement. However, when the pen is fully seated in the cap,the writing end is completely enclosed and sealed and substantially noevaporation of ink can take place.

The cap is formed with a substantially unbroken and uninterrupted outersurface and presents a neat and attractive appearance. Moreover, thevent opening which leads out of the cap is disposed under the exteriorportion of the pocket clip whereby it is substantially concealed anddoes not detract from the attractive appearance of the cap. The pocketclip is so secured to the cap that the securing means is entirelyconcealed thus contributing to the neat appearance of the cap.

The employment of the pocket clip as a portion of the means for securingthe inner and outer shell members together provides a construction whichis very simple in form and adapted for quick and easy assembly. Inaddition, the construction is such that the several members are lockedsecurely against disarrangement. Thus, the pocket clip is positivelyheld in the desired position relatively to the cap and cannot rotateabout the cap as is sometimes found to be the case where it is securedby other types of fastenings. Furthermore, this invention provides a capof the dual shell type which may be formed of a minimum number ofreadily formed members.

We claim:

1. A closure cap for a fountain pen of the type having a tapered writingend, said cap comprising an inner shell completely closed at its sidesand at one end thereof and having an open end adapted to snugly receivethe writing end of the pen and to sealingly enclose the point thereof,and an outer shell surrounding and secured to said inner shell andhaving an open end portion extending beyond the open end of the saidinner shell for sliding, tight-fitting engagement with the pen, and anair vent in the portion of said outer shell which surrounds said innershell, said shells defining an air passage therebetween connecting saidair vent and the interior of said outer shell beyond the open end ofsaid inner shell.

2. A closure cap for a fountain pen of the type having a tapered writingend, said cap comprising an inner shell completely closed at its sidesand at one end thereof and having an open end adapted to snugly receivethe writing end of the pen and to sealingly enclose the point thereof,an outer shell surrounding said inner shell and having an open endportion extending beyond the open end of the said inner shell forsliding, tightfitting engagement with the pen, and an air vent in theportion of said outer shell which surrounds said inner shell, saidshells defining an air passage therebetween connecting said air vent andthe interior of said outer shell beyond the open end of said innershell, means securing said shells in assembled relation, said last meansincluding a pocket clip member having at least a portion externally ofsaid outer shell overlying and substantially concealing said ventopening.

3. A closure cap for a fountain pen, said cap comprising a generallytubular one-piece outer shell closed at one end and open at its otherend, a generally tubular inner shell disposed in said outer shell, apocket clip member having an anchor portion extending through the sidewall of said outer shell and into the wall of said inner S shell and ananchoring element disposed entirely within and concealed by said outershell and secured in said inner shell and engaging said anchor portionfor securing said shells and clip member in assembled relation.

4. A closure cap for a fountain pen of the type having a tapered writingend, said cap comprising a one-piece outer shell having a generallytubular side wall portion, a closed end wall integral therewith and anopen end opposite said end wall, a generally tubular inner shelldisposed in said outer shell with its inner end adjacent the closed endof said outer shell and its outer end terminating inwardly of the openend of said outer shell and dimensioned to sealingly receive the taperedend of said pen, a pocket clip member having an anchor portion extendingthrough the wall of said outer shell and into the wall of said innershell, and an anchoring screw extending through said anchor portion andthreaded into the inner end of said inner shell for securing said shellsand cli member in assembled relation and closing the inner end of saidinner shell.

5. A closure cap for a fountain pen of the type having a tapered writingend, said cap comprising an outer shell having an open end adapted toslidably and snugly receive the writing end of the pen, an air vent inthe side wall of said outer shell leading to the exterior thereof, aninner shell disposed in said outer shell and having an open end portioninwardly of the open end of said outer shell providing an annularsealing seat for the end portion of the pen inwardly of the open end ofsaid outer shell, said shells defining an air passage therebetweenconnecting said air vent with the interior of said outer shell beyondthe open end of said inner shell, a pocket clip member having an anchorend-portion extending through said air vent and into the end wall ofsaid inner shell, and an anchor screw extending through said anchor endportion and threaded into said inner shell for securing said shells andclip member in assembled relation.

MARLIN S. BAKER.

ROBERT W. RANDOLPH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,717,001 Benson June 11, 19291,872,064 Cuthbert Aug. 16, 1932 2,120,652 Schnell June 14, 19382,314,551 Olson Mar. 23, 1943 2,392,942 Ormsby Jan. 15, 1946

